First of all thank you to all of you who have been praying and thinking of us. My cyber friends and their support mean just as much to me as the ones in flesh.
Friday they were going to do the surgical biopsy on my husbands lung, The surgeon came in for the consult and while talking I said, "what about these red bumps" and he said "what bumps?" When he saw them he immediately said, "that looks like Blastomycosis!" and down graded him from the surgical biopsy to a needle biopsy. Which I didn't know until yesterday even that had he gone the route of the surgical biopsy, they would have had to open him up, crack open his ribs and take a chunk of lung out. Instead they stuck a needle in and took out tiny worm like pieces. We are still waiting on the results from that, hopefully today, but in the mean time, I have been researching the Blastomycosis, and it fits to a T. every bit of it. all the symptoms and the fact that is is often misdiagnosed as TB, Lung Cancer and pneumonia. which they suspected TB when we first got there and we were placed in isolation, then they were thinking Lung Cancer which we are still waiting to rule out, and back in Nov, or sometime he was diagnosed with pneumonia. which I think was really the start of all this. Also they show pictures of the red bumps and they look the same, and I have seen an xray of some lungs that look like my DHs so I am convinced. Yesterday one of the Dr.s came in and said he is still thinking cancer...50/50. and my DH said, "Well we are thinking Blastomycosis 98%" Then later the Dr brought my DH out of his room to look at the Drs computer and he had looked up the blasto... thing.... and I think he finally gets it. Nice that we could educate the Doc!
In a nutshell, if you don't feel like googling it. Blastomycosis is an airborn fungal infection, that grows in the woods, like in leaves and brush that is decaying. when disturbed the spores go airborn and you can breath them into your lungs, where they lodge and then grow and cause lots of trouble. the can effect the lungs, skin, kidneys and even the brain. We are just looking at skin and lungs. It is very treatable, but it will take 6 - 12 months. and I just saw somewhere on the web yesterday that the Generic form is about $900 a month. I have no idea how the insurance is going to work with that. On top of that we have 14 hours in the ER, at least 5 days in the hospital, 3 CTs, a chest Xray, EKG, Echo, blood work., biopsy...... etc..... I just can't even imagine..... all this while we were still trying to recover from a year of no work.
But for those who Believe, and especially for those who may not..... My God IS and Awesome God. And He is going to carry us through. We had prayers going completely around the world this past week. At each of you destinations, plus family and friends around the US, our church had a Mission Team in Honduras this week and we were in contact with them a few times and they were all praying, and we have another friend who is in Israel on a Mission Trip and her team was praying. So it was very much felt. And I just know, that that surgeon who came in, ready to crack my DH open, was sent from God. For him to spit that name out and get us thinking that right way and save him from that painful operation. I just know Gods hand was in it.
So they started him on the meds for the fugal thing on Friday and said IF that is what it is he will start to perk up, but they didn't feel that that was what it was and didn't think he would perk up, But they were wrong on both counts, He was up yesterday for the first time since Wednesday and even walked outside and down to the cafetiera for some ice cream with the kids.
So....anyway...... that got long... but I just wanted to thank you all again. You all really fill a spot in my heart that no one else can.
What a long road you both have ahead of you. My mom suffered from a systemic fungal infection a couple of years ago (different type)..........and it does take a lot of time and medication to cure.......but have faith (and I know you do).......you will eventually see an end. My mom went home with an I.V. port and we had to give her her meds through that for quite a while.......and then almost a year of pills.....but now.....she is all good. They also limited her diet somehow....but I don't recall right now. I will keep crossing my fingers that their diagnosis is correct!!!! Big hugs to you girl......you have one tough job. XOXO
